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[Reprinted  from  The  Records  of  The  Columbia  Historical  Society, 

Vol.  20,  1917.] 


EECOLLECTIONS  OF  A  BOYHOOD  IN 
aEORGETOWX. 

By  WILLIAM  A.  GORDON. 
(Read  before  tlie  Society,  April  18,  1916.) 

At  the  present  time  when  Washington  has  grown  to 
be  a  large  city,  when  improved  housing  and  better  sani- 
tation have  made  living  more  pleasant  and  life  safer, 
and  when  lifelong  residents  know  even  by  sight  but  few 
of  those  passed  on  the  street,  it  is  difficult  to  picture 
what  were  the  surroundings,  what  the  life,  and  what 
the  manners  and  customs  of  the  people  who  lived  here 
sixty  or  seventy  years  ago.    Thanks  to  the  research  of 
students  and  the  many  books  which  have  been  written, 
we  are  well  informed  as  to  the  Colonial  and  Revolu- 
tionary history  of  our  people.    This  Society  has  done 
J^  much  in  collecting  and  preserving  interesting  and  val- 
•^     liable  historical  data  relating  to  the  District,  especially 
i    of  the  period  since  it  was  set  apart  for  Federal  pur- 
•<    poses.     Little,   however,  has  been  written  about  the 
U4     daily  life  and  customs  of  the  people  who  lived  here. 
If  someone  equipped  for  the  work  and  enthusiastic  on 
the  subject  would  undertake  to  tell  us  of  the  life,  man- 
ners and  customs  of  the  people  of  this  District  during 
the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century,  as  Macauley  j   "A  ,^    (^ 
did  for  the  English  people,  it  would  be  a  valuable  con-  ^^^ 
tribution  to  local  history  and  make  interesting  reading. 
Though  feeling  hesitation  in  taking  up  the  time  of 
this  Society  with  matters  of  lighter  character  than  are 
contained  in  the  papers  usually  read  before  it,  I  will 
with  your  permission  and  craving  your  forbearance, 
tell  you  of  some  things  which  made  ;in  indelible  inipres- 

121 


2795  H) 


M 


<l 


O 


122        Becords  of  the  Columbia  Historical  Society. 

sion  ou  my  miud  during  a  childhood  and  early  youth 
passed  in  my  native  town  of  Georgetown. 

When  I  was  a  child  Georgetown  was  a  town  of  less 
than  eight  thousand  inhabitants;  an  active  commercial 
center  with  business  reaching  far  into  the  neighboring 
States  and  commerce  into  distant  seas.  Its  people 
were  industrious,  intelligent  and  enterprising;  good 
citizens,  self-reliant,  and  proud  of  their  town.  Life 
was  quiet  and  homelike,  and  as  travel  to  distant  points 
was  rarely  undertaken  and  the  summer  hegira  to  water- 
ing places  unknown,  there  was  a  wider  acquaintance 
amongst  the  people,  and  a  closer  bond  of  neighborly 
friendship  and  intimacy  than  now  exist.  Like  most 
towns  in  Maryland  and  Virginia  the  houses  in  the  older, 
or  western  part,  were  of  brick,  built  directly  on  the 
street,  and  except  in  few  cases  without  grounds  either 
in  front  or  on  the  sides,  the  gardens  for  the  sake  of 
privacy  being  located  in  the  rear.  I  mention  these 
things  to  show  the  surroundings  in  which  I  passed  my 
early  years. 

Negro  slavery  existed  in  the  town  until  the  time  of 
the  war  between  the  States,  and  most  of  the  domestic 
servants  were  slaves,  hired  by  those  not  owning  them 
generally  by  the  year  at  moderate  wages,  with  neces- 
sary clothing  and  medical  attention  added.  When  a 
little  boy  I  was  much  with  the  servants  who  lived  in 
the  house  and  were  recognized  as  members  of  the 
famih\  They  were  proud  of  the  family  to  which  they 
belonged,  were  acquainted  with  its  traditions  and  loved 
to  relate  them.  Many  were  aristocratic  in  their  ideas, 
to  whom  changes  in  social  position  made  no  difference, 
as  they  classed  everyone  socially  according  to  their 
recollection  of  what  the  person's  ancestor  had  been. 
In  every  family  there  was  a  nurse,  or  "mammy,"  who 
cared  for  and  exercised  despotic  authority  over  the 


Gordon:  Recollections  of  a  Boyhood  in  Georgetown,    i  23 

children,  and  would  permit  no  interference  with  them 
except  from  the  parent.  They  dearly  loved  "their  chil- 
dren," as  they  affectionately  called  them,  and  were 
loved  by  them.  Eelations  of  mutual  interest  and  affec- 
tion existed  between  the  members  of  the  family  and  the 
servants  in  the  house,  very  different  from  relations 
which  now  exist,  where  service  only  is  regarded  on  the 
one  side  and  pay  on  the  other.  This  feeling  of  friend- 
ship existed  not  only  between  the  family  and  those  liv- 
ing in  the  house,  but  extended  to  those  who  had  be- 
longed to  the  family  or  had  formerly  lived  with  them. 
At  Christmas  all  felt  at  liberty  to  come  and  partake  of 
the  holiday  cheer,  most  of  whom  expected  and  received 
something  in  the  way  of  a  gift ;  whilst  those  of  the  im- 
mediate household  hung  up  their  stockings  on  Christ- 
mas Eve  just  as  the  children  did. 

There  were  mam'  interesting  customs  amongst  the 
negroes.  Ordinarily  they  were  not  allowed  on  the 
streets  after  the  town  bell  rang  at  nine  o'clock  at  night, 
but  at  Christmas  this  restriction  was  removed,  and  as 
midnight  approached  bands  of  them  would  go  through 
the  streets  singing  hymns  and  carols  before  the  houses 
of  their  white  friends.  I  well  remember  how  excited  I 
was  when  waked  up,  taken  from  bed,  wrapped  up 
snugly,  and  carried  to  the  window  to  listen  to  them.  As 
many  of  the  men  had  good  voices  the  singing  was  un- 
usually sweet.  The  following  morning  the  leader  of 
the  band  would  call  at  the  house  and  receive  a  token  of 
appreciation  in  the  way  of  small  coin. 

The  annual  May-day  parade  of  the  negro  drivers 
should  also  be  mentioned.  In  connection  with  the  busi- 
ness of  the  town  there  were  many  carts,  drays  and 
wagons  driven  by  negroes.  On  the  first  of  May  all  of 
them  had  holiday  and  paraded  the  streets  with  vehicles 
and  horses  adorned  witli  bi-ight-colored  papers,  ribbons 


124        Records  of  the  Columbia  Historical  Society. 

and  flowers ;  the  drivers  in  their  best  with  long  white 
aprons  decorated  with  huge  brilliantly  colored  rosettes. 
Headed  by  a  band  they  would  march  over  the  town,  and 
then  go  to  some  neighboring  wood  to  pass  the  day  in 
feasting,  dancing  and  singing. 

As  much  time  was  passed  within  doors  everything 
connected  with  the  household  was  a  matter  of  interest. 
There  was  no  gas  or  running  water  in  the  house;  no 
range  or  cook  stove  in  the  kitchen.  Water  was  ob- 
tained either  from  wells  or  cisterns  in  the  yard  or  from 
the  public  pumps  on  the  street  corners.  Everyone  had 
barrels  or  hogsheads  in  which  rain  water  was  collected 
for  washing  purposes,  the  breeding  places  of  mos- 
quitoes innumerable.  The  coop  in  which  chickens  and 
other  fowls  were  kept  and  fattened  was  a  necessary 
equipment.  Light  was  furnished  from  candles,  or  from 
lamps  fed  with  sperm  or  lard  oil.  Generally  there  was 
also  a  lantern  for  use  out  of  doors  when  visiting  at 
night,  for  the  streets  were  but  poorly  lighted  if  at  all. 
With  the  exception  of  a  hard-coal  open-grate  fire  in  the 
parlor,  sometimes  supplemented  by  a  bright  cheerful 
wood  fire  in  the  then  popular  ''Franklin"  stove,  the 
fires  were  of  wood  in  the  open  fireplaces  or  in  small  air- 
tight stoves.  The  halls  were  generally  very  cold  and 
except  in  large  mansions  unheated.  Wood  was  sup- 
plied by  country  wagons  and  sawed  into  proper  sizes 
by  old  negro  men  who  followed  the  trade  of  "wood- 
sawyers."  In  the  kitchen  was  a  large  open  fireplace 
with  wide  hearth,  in  which  was  a  swinging  crane  upon 
which  the  pots  and  kettles  hung.  In  addition  there 
were  numerous  ovens  of  various  sizes,  with  griddles, 
frying  pans  and  other  cooking  utensils ;  also  a  large  tin 
"kitchen"  placed  on  the  hearth  in  front  of  the  fire  in 
which  turkeys,  fowls  and  roasts  of  beef  were  cooked. 
Generally  on  the  side  of  the  fireplace  were  hooks  on 


Gordon:  Recollections  of  a  Boyhood  in  Georgetoxcn.    125 

wliicli  Potomac  herring,  strung  upon  long  sticks,  were 
hung  to  dry,  "Johnny-cake, ' '  made  of  cornmeal  dough 
spread  on  barrel-head  boards,  was  cooked  by  being 
propped  up  before  the  fire.  The  hot  "Johnny-cake" 
and  the  roe  herring  of  those  days,  which  cannot  be  had 
by  the  present  method  of  cooking,  was  food  fit  for  the 
gods,  and  the  delight  of  our  childhood.  We  had  abun- 
dance of  molasses,  not  the  tasteless  syrups  and  things 
now  called  by  that  name,  but  thick  golden  New  Orleans 
molasses,  good  to  the  taste  and  sight.  In  summer  there 
was  abundance  of  fruit,  berries  of  all  kinds,  apricots, 
plums,  peaches,  pears  and  melons.  Fish  of  every  kind 
were  abundant,  as  the  town  was  a  great  fish  market ;  in 
fact  food  of  every  kind  was  plentiful  and  moderate  in 
price. 

Christmas  was  the  great  day  of  the  year,  and  for 
weeks  housekeepers  were  busy  preparing  for  it.  Every 
variety  of  cake  and  every  kind  of  sweets  were  made 
(for  there  was  no  confectioner  to  call  upon),  which 
with  ham,  turkey  and  other  substantial,  were  spread 
out  in  the  dining  room.  Open  house  was  kept  and 
friends  and  neighbors  were  expected  to  call.  There 
was  much  holiday  visiting  amongst  the  children,  in  fact 
it  was  considered  a  slight  if  one's  plajTnates  failed  to 
come  in  and  partake  of  the  "goodies"  and  admire  the 
simple  but  no  less  prized  presents.  At  all  times  of  the 
year  there  was  much  hospitality,  and  whenever  visitors 
called  cake  and  wine,  and  on  winter  afternoons  tea  and 
thin  wafers,  were  handed  around  by  the  servants. 

C'hildren  of  the  same  age  played  together,  and  when 
quite  young  the  little  negroes  were  welcome  compan- 
ions. Generally  the  playgrounds  were  in  the  enclosures 
about  the  houses,  though  occasionally  the  neighbor- 
hood was  visited  in  search  of  adventure,  and  to  climb 
up  into  the  loft  of  a  stable  and  roll  over  in  the  sweet 


I  26        Records  of  the  Columbia  Historical  Society. 

smelling  hay  was  a  special  deligiit.  In  our  neighbor- 
hood there  was  much  to  interest  little  boys.  Nearby 
was  the  large  and  airy  shop  of  a  builder,  who  employed 
many  skilled  carpenters,  where  shutters,  doors,  window 
frames  and  other  things,  now  manufactured  by  machin- 
ery, were  made.  Here,  conditioned  upon  good  be- 
havior, the  boys  were  permitted  to  go  and  watch  the 
workmen;  and  the  smell  of  the  woods  and  shavings 
pleased  as  much  as  the  skill  of  the  men  astonished.  In 
this  shop  coffins  were  also  made,  and  this  branch  of  the 
business  interested  more  than  any  other.  I  do  not 
know  what  ambition  filled  the  minds  of  all  the  boys, 
but  I  do  know  that  some  of  them  were  so  impressed 
with  the  mystery  and  fascination  of  coffin-making  that 
they  determined  to  be  undertakers  in  after  life.  There 
were  also  several  tanneries  and  a  mill  for  grinding 
bark  nearby.  The  vats,  skins  and  everything  connected 
with  the  tanneries,  especially  the  gruesome  stories  of 
men  who  had  been  drowned  in  the  vats,  interested ;  but 
not  so  much  so  as  the  bark  mill  with  the  patient  horses 
traveling  around  the  ring  and  supplying  the  motor 
power.  The  mill  was  presided  over  by  a  rosy-faced, 
loud-voiced,  kind-hearted  giant,  a  pleasant  host  to  the 
visiting  boys.  On  work  days  they  liked  him,  but  on 
parade  day,  when  as  pioneer  of  one  of  the  volunteer 
military  comiDanies  he  appeared  in  brilliant  uniform 
with  huge  bear-skin  hat  on  head,  white  sheepskin  apron 
around  waist,  and  glittering  broad-axe  on  shoulder,  he 
was  simply  magnificent,  and  considered  by  them  a  kind 
of  demi-god. 

The  little  bovs  were  of  course  greatlv  interested  in 
everything  engaged  in  by  those  older  and  larger,  and 
to  be  allowed  to  go  with  them  or  take  part  in  their  sport 
was  considered  a  special  favor.  Generally  the  big  boys, 
while  they  did  not  wish  to  be  bothered  with  the  little 


Gordon:  Recollections  of  a  Boyhood  in  Georgetown.    127 

ones,  were  kind  and  there  were  but  few  if  any  cases  of 
bullying.  Of  course  there  was  some  fighting  amongst 
the  small  boys,  doing  no  harm  so  long  as  stones  were 
not  used,  and  under  the  code  amongst  them  it  was  not 
considered  the  fair  thing  for  boys  in  the  same  crowd  to 
use  stones. 

As  the  boys  grew  older  there  was  much  fighting  be- 
tween the  ''crowds"  living  in  different  sections  of  the 
town,  and  between  the  boys  of  Washing-ton  and  George- 
town. It  was  dangerous  for  a  boy  from  one  section  of 
the  town  to  venture  alone  into  another,  an  attack  and 
sometimes  severe  beating  being  the  almost  invariable 
result,  the  free  use  of  stones  adding  an  additional  dan- 
ger. Crowds  from  one  part  of  the  town  would  invade 
another  part,  armed  with  sticks  and  stones,  and  shriek- 
ing party  cries.  At  first  the  march  was  unopposed,  but 
rapidly  the  boys  of  the  invaded  district  gathered  and 
drove  the  enemy  from  the  field.  The  severest  conflicts, 
however,  were  between  the  boys  of  the  two  cities  of 
Washington  and  Georgetown  at  the  Paper  Mill  Bridge 
over  Rock  Creek,  for  possession  of  which  they  fought 
with  great  desperation.  As  there  were  only  two  or 
three  constables  to  preserve  peace  by  day  and  a  like 
number  of  watchmen  to  giiard  property  by  night,  these 
encounters  were  seldom  interfered  with.  In  our  part 
of  the  town  the  constable  was  a  large,  powerful,  dark- 
featured  man,  who  was  believed  to  have  been  a  circus 
performer  and  to  have  killed  his  man.  All  the  boys 
were  afraid  of  him  and  would  retire  into  the  house  on 
his  approacli.  Tlie  niglit  watchman  was  a  small,  round, 
jolly  man,  with  kind  words  to  the  children,  who  were 
fond  of  and  regarded  him  as  their  protector.  lie 
patrolled  the  town  by  niglit  and  called  out  the  hours: 
"One  o'clock,  a  fair  bright  night,  all's  well,"  or  "Four 
o'clock,  a  sharp  cold  morning,  all's  woll. 


}} 


I  28        Records  of  the  Columbia  Historical  Society. 

Children  were  then  clothed  very  differently  from 
now.  Boys  under  eight  years  of  age  wore  dresses  with 
skirts  to  below  the  knees,  buckled  around  the  waist  with 
belts,  legs  covered  with  stiff  white  paddies  reaching  to 
the  ankles,  and  head  with  little  velvet  or  cloth  skull 
caps.  Later  their  dress  would  be  a  cloth  roundabout 
or  jacket,  generally  worn  open,  adorned  with  brilliant 
brass  buttons,  and  covered  at  the  neck  with  huge  stiff 
linen  collars,  and  narrow  trousers  reaching  to  the 
ankles.  The  head  dress  would  be  straw  hats  in  summer 
and  cloth  *caps  with  stiff  leather  visors  in  winter.  In 
spite  of  this  uncomfortable  costume  they  no  doubt  had 
equally  as  good  a  time  as  the  boys  of  the  present  day. 

The  little  children  were  sent  at  an  early  age  to  what 
were  known  as  "Dames  Schools,"  where  they  learned 
to  read  and  write.  The  subjects  taught  were  of  the 
simplest  nature,  and  I  now  believe  the  little  ones  were 
sent  to  these  schools  not  for  what  they  would  learn  but 
to  be  taken  care  of.  As  they  grew  up  the  boys  went  to 
the  higher  schools,  where  the  hours  were  long  and  the 
holidays  few  and  far  between,  at  the  head  of  which 
were  men  whose  reputations  as  scholars  and  adminis- 
trators extended  far  beyond  the  limits  of  the  District. 
Here  close  and  lifetime  friendships  between  the  stud- 
ents were  made.  When  the  war  between  the  States 
commenced  many  of  them  went  into  the  Confederate 
and  a  lesser  number  into  the  Union  army.  At  the  end 
of  the  contest  the  survivors  came  home  and  old  inti- 
macies were  resumed,  and  I  do  not  know  of  a  single  case 
where  friendships  between  them  were  interfered  with 
in  the  slightest  degree. 

One  of  the  first  things  I  can  remember  is  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Mexican  war.  The  negro  servants,  though 
they  knew  nothing  about  Mexico  nor  about  war,  did 
know  that  a  war  was  going  on  and  that  many  men  from 


Gordon :  Recollections  of  a  Boyhood  in  Georgetown.    1 29 

the  town  were  engaged  in  it.  It  was  a  topic  of  continual 
talk  amongst  them,  and  of  course  the  children  heard 
them  talk.  They  would  jDoint  to  the  long  line  of  crows 
winging  their  way  south  in  the  morning  and  homewards 
in  the  afternoon,  and  tell  us  they  flew  to  the  battlefields 
of  Mexico  to  feast  upon  the  bodies  of  soldiers  who  had 
been  killed.  These  superstitious  people  as  well  as  the 
credulous  children  believed  this  to  be  true.  Later  the 
volunteers,  clad  in  their  light  blue  uniforms  and  caps, 
returned  from  Mexico,  many  of  them  marching  through 
Bridge  Street  on  their  way  home,  and  though  very 
young  we  were  taken  to  see  them.  They  generally 
crossed  the  river  over  the  aqueduct  bridge  and  were 
entertained  by  George  Washington  Parke  Custis  at  the 
great  spring  on  his  Arlington  estate.  Just  before  or 
after  his  election  to  the  jDresidency,  General  Zachary 
Taylor  was  entertained  by  the  people  of  the  town  at  the 
Union  Hotel,  where  I  saw  the  then  popular  hero,  and 
can  distinctly  recall  his  appearance.  Many  officers  who 
had  taken  part  in  the  war  visited- the  town,  and  the 
children  were  delighted  to  see  and  hear  them,  though  I 
doubt  if  much  was  heard  about  their  military  deeds, 
soldiers  generally  being  modest  and  little  given  to  talk- 
ing about  their  personal  achievements. 

Children  had  bi^t  little  money  in  those  days,  but  in 
spite  of  the  fact  that  there  were  no  soda-water  foun- 
tains, slot  machines,  nor  moving-picture  shows,  they 
had  but  little  difficulty  in  getting  rid  of  their  pennies. 
In  many  of  the  small  one-story  brick  houses,  peculiar  to 
old  Georgetown,  negro  "Aunties"  were  ready  to  wel- 
come and  furnish  them  with  sweets  at  the  universal 
price  of  one  cent.  Honey  cakes,  thin  and  intensely 
sweet,  horse  cakes  of  gingerbread  in  shape  resembling 
no  animal  in  nature  or  mythology,  large  l^alls  of  black 
taffy  and  long  twisted  sticks  of  yellow  taffy,  were  at- 
9* 


130        lircords  of  the  Cohimhia  Historical  Society. 

tractive  on  account  of  quantity  rather  than  quality. 
Being  made  from  pure  materials  they  were  probably 
less  injurious  than  the  low-priced  sweets  now  sold. 

As  in  all  river  towns  the  water  front  had  great  fasci- 
nations for  the  boys  and  along  it  much  of  their  time  was 
passed  in  summer.  They  learned  to  swim  when  very 
young,  and  as  they  grew  older  became  perfectly  at 
home  in  the  water  and  expert  divers.  At  the  wharves, 
which  extended  along  the  whole  front  of  the  town,  were 
generally  numbers  of  vessels  loading  and  unloading. 
Water  Street,  which  was  occupied  by  the  wholesale 
merchants,  offered  many  attractions.  It  was  a  busy 
place,  the  street  crowded  with  carts  and  drays,  and  at 
certain  seasons  of  the  year  with  lines  of  large  covered 
wagons,  drawn  by  four  or  six  horse  teams  with  bows 
of  bells  on  shoulders,  and  loaded  with  produce  from 
Pennsylvania,  Maryland  and  Virginia;  the  warehouses 
filled  with  flour,  tobacco,  whiskey,  salt,  grain  and  other 
merchandise.  One  place  was  a  source  of  never-ending 
delight,  the  old  warehouses  on  the  western  part  of  the 
street  near  the  aqueduct  bridge,  which  in  the  early 
days  of  the  town  had  been  used  as  depots  by  the  Indian 
traders.  From  time  to  time  the  iron-bound  doors  were 
opened  and  the  boys  allowed  to  rummage  around.  By 
digging  in  the  moist  dirt  floors  they  were  able  to  find 
Indian  beads  and  bells.  The  beads  were  like  sections 
of  pipe  stems  about  an  inch  long  made  of  highly  glazed 
earthenware,  and  in  color  red,  blue,  white  and  parti- 
colors,  and  being  of  varied  degrees  of  rarity  had  estab- 
lished value  amongst  and  were  used  for  trading  pur- 
poses by  the  boys.  Almost  in  front  of  these  warehouses 
on  the  river  bank  was  a  large  saw-mill  of  heavy  tim- 
bers, not  enclosed,  where  the  logs  which  had  been 
floated  down  the  river  were  hauled  up  and  sawed  into 
lumber.     Next  to  this  mill  was  an  iron  furnace  or 


Gordon:  Recollections  of  a  Boyhood  in  GeorgetOiCn. 


131 


smelter  where  to  the  delight  of  the  boys  the  workmen, 
generally  naked  to  the  waist,  moved  about  in  the  glare 
of  the  molten  metal.  Then  there  were  the  numerous 
flour  mills  and  a  cotton  factory  which  we  were  allowed 
on  rare  occasions  to  visit,  the  intricate  machinery  of 
which  inspired  admiration  and  astonishment.  Another 
place  we  liked  to  get  permission  to  visit  was  Brown's 
bakery,  on  the  north  side  of  the  street,  where  the  ship- 
biscuit,  or  hard-tack,  used  in  the  United  States  Navy, 
was  baked.  The  place  was  clean  and  permeated  with  a 
sweet  moist  smell,  and  to  see  the  process  of  mixing  the 
flour,  forming  the  dough  in  shapes,  putting  it  into  and 
taking  it  from  the  ovens,  and  packing  the  biscuits,  was 
interesting;  but  to  be  presented  with  a  large  warm 
newly-baked  biscuit  was  a  delight.  A  short  distance 
lower  was  the  Corporation  Fish  Wharf,  where  thou- 
sands of  shad  and  hundreds  of  thousands  of  her- 
ring were  brought  by  the  small  river  vessels 
and  sold.  liere  the  fish  were  cleaned  for  salting 
and  packing  by  negro  fish-women,  rough  and  profane 
of  speech,  but  generally  kind  to  the  boys  of  their  ac- 
quaintance. In  front  of  the  wharf,  which  was  a  vile- 
smelling  place,  the  boys  would  fish,  supplied  witli  bait 
by  the  fish-women,  and  as  great  numbers  of  small  lish 
were  attracted  by  the  offal  swept  into  the  river,  as 
many  as  desired  could  easily  be  caught.  Still  lower 
down  was  the  Dodge  warehouse,  a  never  ending  source 
of  delight.  The  firm  was  engaged  in  trading  in  tlieir 
own  vessels  with  the  West  Indies  and  South  America, 
and  were  large  importers  of  sugar  and  molasses.  Knch 
year  a  sale  took  place,  the  whai'ves  being  covered  with 
hogsheads,  and  ])uyers  from  the  large  cities  ol'  tlu' 
North  attending.  On  these  occasions,  tlie  boys  were 
allowed  to  move  about  lliiough  the  rows  of  liogslieads 
supplied    with    long    straws,    which    llicy    would    diji 


1 3-        Records  of  the  Columbia  Historical  Society. 

tliroiig-h  tlie  biinghole  oi^en  for  inspection  and  feast  on 
the  molasses  drawn  out.  The  counting  house  was  capa- 
cious, and  decorated  with  curios  brought  from  the 
tropics,  such  as  flying  fish,  shark's  jaws,  and  sword- 
fish  and  saw-fish.  On  the  sale  days  elaborate  lunches 
were  served,  with  fine  cigars  and  every  variety  of 
drinkables  for  the  guests.  Out  from  the  counting  room 
extended  a  wide  platform  overlooking  the  river,  fur- 
nished with  chairs  and  benches,  which  on  warm  sum- 
mer afternoons  was  used  as  a  meeting  and  lounging 
place  by  the  friends  of  the  jDroprietors.  At  that  time 
there  was  a  great  distinction  between  wholesale  ''mer- 
chants" and  retail  "shopkeepers,"  and  a  line  distinctly 
drawn,  the  former  being  within  the  magic  social  circle, 
the  latter  outside  of  it.  The  captains  of  the  trading 
vessels  were  very  kind  to  the  boys,  and  on  their  return 
from  a  voyage  would  give  them  sugar  cane,  oranges 
and  other  tropical  fruit;  invite  them  to  join  at  meals 
(and  how  greatly  enjoyed  was  what  we  considered 
sailor's  food) ;  and  loan  them  the  small  boats  for  row- 
ing and  sculling. 

The  river  above  the  town  as  far  as  the  Little  Falls 
bridge  was  often  visited  by  way  of  the  tow-path.  This 
took  us  past  the  celebrated  Foxall  Foundry,  where 
cannon  for  the  United  States  Navy  were  made,  and 
around  which  in  every  direction  castings  of  guns  and 
balls  were  scattered.  And  also  past  Edes  Mill,  situated 
at  the  point  where  the  canal  of  the  old  Potomac  Com- 
pany entered  the  river.  At  this  latter  place  fish  larger 
than  those  to  be  found  in  front  of  the  town  could  be 
caught,  and,  as  we  were  on  friendly  terms  with  the 
miller's  family  and  had  the  freedom  of  the  grounds,  it 
was  a  charming  spot  to  pass  the  warm  bright  days  of 
early  summer.  On  the  canal  bank  opposite  the  mill 
lived  a  man,  who  on  account  of  his  great  strength  was 


Gordon:  Recollections  of  a  Bat/hood  in  Georgetown.    133 

known  as  "Bull"  Frizzle.  On  him  the  boys  always 
turned  admiring  looks  as  in  their  estimation  he  was  a 
hero,  having  on  the  occasion  of  an  accident  at  the  Little 
Falls  bridge  crawled  under  a  huge  beam,  and  unas- 
sisted prized  it  up  by  the  strength  of  his  broad  back, 
thereby  saving  the  life  of  the  man  pinned  beneath  it. 
Above  the  mill  were  several  fishing  shores,  and  it  was 
a  delight  to  watch  the  boats  buffeted  by  the  swift  rapids 
and  see  the  well-filled  nets  dragged  to  shore.  In  times 
of  floods  the  lower  part  of  the  town  was  in  a  state  of 
great  excitement;  merchants  busy  in  removing  goods 
to  places  of  safety,  sailors  working  to  secure  vessels  at 
the  wharves  from  being  carried  away,  and  fishermen 
and  dwellers  on  the  waterside  risking  their  lives  in  se- 
curing valuables  coming  down  in  the  current  or  sup- 
plies of  drift  wood  for  the  winter.  When  the  water 
was  unusually  high  every  point  of  vantage  was  crowded 
with  spectators. 

Just  west  of  Georgetown  College  and  north  of  the 
canal  road  was  a  large  and  beautiful  sheet  of  water 
known  as  "College  Pond,"  the  favorite  skating  place 
of  the  young  people,  and  older  ones  also,  living  in  the 
western  part  of  the  town.  This  is  mentioned  for  the 
reason  that  but  few  of  the  present  generation  know 
anything  of  this  beautiful  pond  which  no  longer  exists, 
having  gradually  been  filled  with  washings  from  the 
surrounding  hills. 

Much  of  the  time  was  passed  in  the  country  nesir  tlic 
town,  more  along  the  valley  of  Rock  Creek  than  else- 
where. Our  wanderings  took  us  long  distances  up  that 
stream  and  over  the  tracts  now  covered  by  \ho  pnvk, 
and  though  always  beautiful  its  beauty  did  nol  llicn 
impress  me  as  it  now  does.  '^I'lic  land  jjordering  on  the 
creek  was  held  in  large  ])Mrf'els  mthI  occu))ied  as  homes 
by  the  owners,  which  in  a  great  measure  accounts  for 


1 34        Records  of  the  Columbia  Historical  Society. 

tlio  fact  that  the  woods  were  not  destroyed  nor  the 
natural  beauty  interfered  with. 

During  the  Fall  great  droves  of  cattle  and  flocks  of 
sheep  from  western  Virginia  were  driven  through  town. 
Gathered  together  at  Drovers  Rest  about  two  miles 
west  of  the  town,  they  were  driven  to  Baltimore  and 
eastern  cities.  Some  days  they  numbered  many  thou- 
sands and  filled  West  (now  P)  Street  from  early  morn- 
ing to  late  afternoon.  Generally  there  was  no  trouble, 
but  occasionally  a  wild  steer  ran  amuck  to  the  general 
alarm.  In  addition  large  flocks  of  turkeys,  hundreds 
of  them,  were  driven  from  lower  Maryland.  Their  slow 
and  deliberate  movements  and  constant  gobbling  never 
failed  to  attract  attention.  When  any  one  wished  a 
turkey  for  dinner,  it  was  only  necessary  to  go  to  the 
enclosure  where  they  were  kept,  select  a  bird,  and  pay 
for  it  what  would  now  be  considered  almost  nothing. 
I  doubt  if  a  drove  of  turkeys  has  come  to  this  District 
within  the  past  fifty  years  or  more. 

Of  course  there  were  fires  and  a  fire  company,  and 
nothing  caused  greater  excitement  amongst  the  boys 
than  the  wild  clanging  of  the  alarm  bell,  which  hung 
in  the  belfry  of  the  engine  house  and  was  heard  all  over 
the  town.  They  considered  '^The  Old  Vigilant"  the 
greatest  engine  and  its  men  the  bravest  crew  in  the 
whole  country.  Though  not  permitted  to  run  with  the 
"machine,"  they  would  run  along  near  it,  and  watch 
and  criticize  every  movement  of  the  men.  This  was 
before  the  days  of  a  paid  fire  department,  and  the 
members  of  the  company  were  all  volunteers.  There 
were  two  machines,  a  suction  and  an  engine ;  the  former 
drew  in  the  water  and  the  latter  threw  it  upon  the  fire ; 
both  were  drawn  through  the  streets  by  hand  and  also 
worked  by  hand.  In  cases  of  large  fires  the  Washing- 
ton companies  came  over  to  assist,  and  whilst  during 


Gordon:  Recollections  of  a  Boyhood  in  Georgetown.    135 

the  progress  of  the  fire  all  worked  harmoniously  to- 
gether, so  soon  as  it  was  extinguished  fighting  between 
the  rival  companies  almost  always  began.  These  en- 
counters were  topics  of  conversation  for  weeks  after 
the  event. 

The  subject  of  politics  would  from  time  to  time  dis- 
turb the  pleasant  relations  existing  between  the  boys, 
as  they  were  as  fixed  in  their  political  leanings  and  as 
ardent  Democrats  or  Whigs  as  their  elders.  During 
national  campaigns  feelings  ran  very  high,  each  boy  had 
a  pole  in  his  yard  from  which  floated  a  party  flag,  and 
the  abuse  and  vituperation  indulged  in  by  the  two 
parties  passed  freely  between  them.  When  the  election 
was  over,  peace  returned  and  politics  were  banished 
from  their  discussions.  Partisan  feeling  in  those  days 
ran  very  high  and  frequent  political  meetings  were 
held,  but  being  at  night  the  boys  saw  but  little  of  them. 
After  an  important  election,  however,  the  victors  gave 
expression  to  their  joy  by  torch-light  processions, 
illumination  of  residences  and  great  bonfires  in  various 
parts  of  the  town,  to  which  the  children  were  taken  and 
which  they  enjoyed  more  than  the  grown  folks. 

In  the  extreme  western  part  of  the  town,  near  the 
Catholic  Church  and  College  and  Convent,  dwelt  the 
Irish,  a  wild-looking,  undisciplined  and  tui-bulcut  ])eo- 
ple,  different  in  every  way  from  tlicii-  couiitrymcii 
amongst  us  at  the  present  day,  both  iiicii  mikI  women 
being  much  given  to  fighting  and  di-inkiiig.  11  wns  be- 
lieved, and  was  ])rol)nbly  true,  tlial  no  one  could  coiili-ol 
them  except  their  piiests.  St.  Pntrick's  Day  was  the 
great  occasion  of  the  year  with  them,  when.  Iicadrd  by 
a  band,  decorated  with  gi-cen  regalia,  and  bearing  ban- 
ners, they  parad(!d  tho  streets.  Many  were  Ihe  lights 
which  took  place  along  the  line  of  inai-ch,  for  they  were 
impatient  of  criticism  or  derisive  remarks,  especially 

279,510 


136        Records  of  the  Columbia  Historical  Society. 

after  having  imbibed  a  little.  Frequently  when  the 
morning  of  the  "Day"  dawned  a  ''stuffed  paddy" 
would  be  found  hanging  from  a  tree  or  sig-n ;  the  figure 
a  suit  of  clothes  stuffed  with  straw,  surmounted  by  a 
dilapidated  beaver  hat,  with  a  string  of  fish  and  pota- 
toes around  the  neck,  an  empty  whiskey  bottle  sticking 
from  the  pocket,  and  generally  labeled  "Paddy  got 
drunk  on  fish  and  potatoes."  The  sight  of  one  of  these 
figures  on  St.  Patrick's  Day  was  to  an  Irishman  more 
infuriating  than  a  red  handkerchief  to  a  mad  bull. 

The  Fourth  of  July  was  a  great  day,  and  for  many 
years  was  celebrated  at  Parrott's  Woods,  now  the  site 
of  Oak  Hill  Cemeterj^  All  the  Protestant  Sunday 
Schools  participated.  In  the  morning  they  met  at  the 
various  churches,  and  then  uniting  marched  to  the 
grounds  headed  by  a  band.  Each  school  had  a  dis- 
tinctive color,  red,  blue,  green,  yellow  and  white,  and 
each  scholar  was  decorated  with  a  rosette  of  the  same. 
Each  school  had  its  banner,  and  to  be  a  banner  bearer 
was  considered  a  great  honor.  Heading  the  different 
schools  were  two  boys,  called  "pivot  boys,"  bearing 
small  flags,  and  on  turning  a  corner  these  boys  crossed 
their  flags  and  the  schools  marched  under  them.  On 
arriving  at  the  woods  the  day  was  celebrated.  Patriotic 
songs  were  sung,  the  Star  Spangled  Banner  never 
being  omitted,  and  addresses  made  by  young  college 
graduates.  Later  in  the  day  speeches  were  made  by 
the  elders.  Townsmen  of  all  classes  participated,  and 
barrels  of  lemonade  and  abundance  of  eatables  of  every 
kind  were  provided ;  everything  was  free  and  all  were 
welcomed.  After  a  somewhat  strenuous  day  parents 
and  children  returned  home  tired  out  but  patriotically 
happy. 

The  needs  of  the  town  required  many  taverns,  and 
on  High  Street  (now  Wisconsin  Avenue)  were  several 


Gordon:  Recollections  of  a  Boyhood  in  Georgetozem.    137 

much  frequented  by  teamsters,  drovers  and  small 
farmers.  Attached  to  each  were  large  courtyards  with 
extensive  stabling  where  the  many  wagons  and  teams 
could  be  cared  for.  In  the  late  afternoon  these  taverns 
were  busy  and  hustling  places.  In  addition  there  were 
a  number  of  hotels,  the  principal  one  being  the  Union 
Hotel,  formerly  Crawfords,  which  occupied  the  north- 
east corner  of  M  and  30th  Streets,  with  additions  ex- 
tending northwardly  to  Olive  Avenue,  which  in  its  day 
was  a  famous  hostelry  and  as  such  continued  for  many 
years  after  the  war.  In  the  days  before  my  birth  it 
was  the  stopping  place  of  the  most  distinguished  men 
in  public  life.  William  Wirt  in  a  letter  written  to  his 
wife  from  Georgetown  on  October  1-4,  1814,  not  two 
months  after  the  British  had  burned  the  Capitol,  says : 

"Here  I  am  at  Crawfords.  I  am  surrounded  by  a  vast 
crowd  of  legislators  and  gentlemen,  assembled  here  for  the 
races,  which  are  to  commence  tomorrow.  The  races?  amidst 
the  ruins  and  desolation  of  Washington." 

In  my  day  it  was  the  home  of  many  ladies  and  gentle- 
men, friends  of  our  family,  and  I  went  there  frequently. 
The  main  building  differed  but  little  from  others,  but 
north  of  this  and  running  north  upon  30th  Street  to 
the  next  street  was  a  wing  of  one  or  two  stories  high 
and  one  room  deep,  the  doors  opening  into  a  covered 
corridor  supported  by  brick  arches,  beyond  which  was 
a  large  courtyard  paved  with  stone.  The  rooms  along 
this  corridor  were  occupied  entirely  l)y  gentlemen, 
many  being  planters  from  the  lower  river  counties  of 
Maryland  and  Virginia.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the 
courtyard  was  a  large  buihliug  in  which  was  a  fine  hnW- 
room  known  as  ''Pompean  Ilall"  from  its  mural  dec- 
orations in  which  j)ublic  entertainments  and  functions 
were  held.  In  the  older  days  on  more  than  one  occasion 
parties  had  gone  from  these  festivities  to  the  duelling 


ijS        Records  of  the  Columbia  Historical  Society. 

groinid,  resulting  in  one  instance  at  least  in  the  death 
of  a  participant.  In  the  rear  of  the  court  were  stables 
in  which  carriages  owned  by  or  for  the  use  of  guests 
were  kept. 

Transportation  was  attended  with  considerable  dis- 
comfoi-t  for  those  not  blessed  with  their  own  convey- 
ances. There  were  two  or  three  public  hacks  driven 
bj'  old  colored  men,  used  on  rare  occasions  or  for  funer- 
als, though  generally  as  a  mark  of  respect  all  walked 
to  the  graveyard.  Two  of  these  funerals  where  all  at- 
tending were  on  foot  made  an  impression  on  my  mind 
which  is  still  vivid.  One,  that  of  Archbishop  Eccleston 
of  Baltimore,  who  was  greatly  interested  in  the  educa- 
tion of  girls  under  the  care  of  the  Sisters  of  the  Visita- 
tion, and  died  in  a  small  house  on  Fayette  Street  near 
the  Convent  in  1851  during  a  visit  to  Georgetown.  His 
remains  were  borne  through  the  streets,  on  the  way 
to  the  railroad  depot  on  Pennsylvania  Avenue  near 
the  Capitol,  attended  by  acolytes  swinging  censers, 
lighted  candles  and  many  priests  and  church  digni- 
taries. An  impressive  and  unusual  sight !  The  other, 
that  of  Mr.  Bodisco,  the  Russian  Minister,  in  1854, 
when  on  the  way  to  Oak  Hill  Cemetery  his  two  nephews 
Boris  and  Waldimer,  both  very  handsome  young  men, 
clad  in  white  uniforms,  marched  on  either  side  of  the 
hearse,  accompanied  by  the  attaches  of  his  legation  and 
officers  of  his  household,  also  in  uniform.  For  those 
who  had  business  at  the  executive  departments  in 
Washington,  or  **the  city"  as  we  called  it,  and  were 
too  old  or  did  not  care  to  walk,  there  were  omnibuses 
which  went  over  in  the  morning  and  returned  in  the 
early  afternoon;  and  later  omnibuses  which  made 
hourly  trips.  Stages  ran  every  day  to  Rockville,  and 
once  or  more  a  week  to  Leesburg  or  neighboring  towns. 
A  steamboat,  the  old  Salem,  made  regular  trips  down 


Gordon:  BecoUect'ions  of  a  Boyhood  in  Geoi-getozcn.    139 

the  Potomac  to  the  river  landings,  and  the  canal  carried 
many  passengers  np  the  river  to  the  western  country. 

Of  course  things  interested  the  boys  more  than  per- 
sons, but  there  were  many  characters  in  the  town  who 
made  an  impression  upon  our  minds  by  what  appeared 
peculiarities  or  by  what  was  said  about  them.  One  or 
two  tottering  old  men  said  to  have  been  Revolutionary 
soldiers,  old  gentlemen  still  clinging  to  their  knee 
breeches,  old  ladies  with  turbans  on  head  and  canes  in 
hand.  Then  from  time  to  time  men  distinguished  in 
the  history  of  the  country  drove  or  rode  through  the 
streets,  the  observed  of  all  observers.  To  the  boys, 
however,  the  most  interesting  sight  was  the  foreign 
ministers,  residing  in  the  town,  when  on  state  occasions 
they  appeared  in  brilliant  uniforms,  and  in  the  case  of 
the  Russian  minister  seated  in  a  gilded  coach  with 
driver  and  footman  clad  in  bright  uniforms.  Then 
there  were  the  high  leather-spring  coaches  of  residents, 
and  old-fashioned  two-wheeled  gigs  driven  by  old  gen- 
tlemen. The  people  and  surroundings  were  in  almost 
every  respect  different  from  those  of  the  present  day. 

Perhaps  you  have  wondered  why  I  have  said  nothing 
in  regard  to  girls;  but  you  must  remember  that  the 
boys  to  whom  I  have  referred  were  under  fifteen  years 
of  age,  and  the  fair  sex,  whatever  the  influence  exerted 
in  later  years,  occupied  but  little  of  their  attention. 
They  were  real  boys,  not  young  gentlemen,  who  loved 
the  open,  played  in  the  streets  free  from  automobiles 
and  motorcycles,  and  made  tlieir  excursions  on  foot 
no  matter  how  great  the  distance  traveled.  Nothing 
was  thought  of  tramping  out  to  the  house  of  some  boy 
friend  in  the  country  five  or  six  miles  from  home,  imd 
after  a  strenuous  day  in  the  fields  and  woods  tramping 
back  again,  and  many  holidays  were  happily  passed  in 
improvised  camj^s  where  first  lessons  in  simple  cooking 


140        Records  of  the  Columbia  Historical  Society. 

were  acquired.  They  were  just  boys,  strong,  kctive, 
interested  in  and  prying  into  everything,  and  though 
full  of  mischief  for  the  most  part  fairly  good.  The  life 
they  led  was  in  no  way  the  life  of  the  city' boy  of  the 
present  day,  but  rather  that  of  boys  in  small  country 
towns.  Their  days  were  full  of  adventure  and  they 
got  much  out  of  life.  After  many  years  it  is  pleasant 
to  recall  the  surroundings  and  occupation  of  my  child- 
hood days. 


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